Public Realm

Ballymena Public Realm

Image of the proposed public realm works in Ballymena

Our vision for Ballymena Town Centre is to build on its existing strengths, to maintain the vitality and viability of the Town Centre, while fostering a positive identity and a rich and sustainable variety of offerings for both residents and visitors alike.

The scheme which is being funded by the Department for Communities, will be delivered by contractors FP McCann Ltd. It will see the upgrade of Bridge Street, opposite the Braid, and Castle Street, from Church Street to the junction with Meeting House Lane, with granite paving and kerbing, new lighting and carriageway resurfacing.

Paving will also be extended at the roundabout on Castle Street and across the front entrance at St Patrick’s Church, to the junctions with Trostan Avenue and Meeting House Lane, providing a consistent and high quality finish of paving throughout the town centre.

It is planned that the public realm works will be phased, commencing on Bridge Street, followed by the lower, town centre end of Castle Street, before continuing to the top end of Castle Street towards St Patrick’s Church.

In an effort to shorten the works programme, it is anticipated that enabling works by Open Reach (BT) will take place at the top of Castle Street, near St Patrick’s Church, week commencing 24 July. The public realm works are planned to commence on Monday 7 August 2023, after scheduled NIE works have concluded, with the last phased section planned to be completed by late November 2023.

For the duration of the works on Castle Street, traffic will be restricted to a single lane, with a one-way system in place from Meeting House Lane to Bridge Street, enabling continued vehicle access to business, public and private car parks.

Businesses along Castle Street and Bridge Street will be open as normal throughout the works and pedestrian access to homes and businesses in the area will be maintained at all times.

Contact:

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
Silverwood Business Park
190 Raceview Road
Ballymena
BT42 4HY

Eamon Mullan, Capital Regeneration Manager
T: 028 2563 3528
E: eamon.mullan@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

Gail Kelly, Town Centre Development Manager
T: 028 9335 8229
E: gail.kelly@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

15 December 2023

This week completed the footway excavation and concrete slab works on the section of path from St Patrick’s church entrance to Trostan Ave tie-in point, with paving to this section of path to commence on Monday and be completed and reopened to the public end of next week.

Paving works to St Patrick’s church entrance was completed today and this will reopen on Saturday 16 December 2023 morning.

Cladding works to the roundabout planters was completed this week with this to be grouted on Monday 18 December 2023.

Excavation of an additional section of pathway will commence on Monday 18 December 2023 from the bottom of Church St 3 car park onto Bridge St with this to be kerbed and based and reopened end of next week.

Carriageway resurfacing is programmed for w/c 22 January 2024 under a road closure over the full extents of the scheme on Castle St including junction at Meeting House Lane & Trostan Ave. Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout.

8 December 2023

Paving to Castle St upper path is now fully complete and open to the public to tie in with Meeting House Lane.

Pavement base was completed to the St Patrick’s Church vehicle entrance start of this week and paving commenced Tuesday 5 December 2023 and is currently on going and will continue next week for completion mid-to-late next week.

Footpath excavation and kerbing is currently ongoing from St Patrick’s church entrance around to the end point on Trostan Ave, pavement base will be laid early next week, with paving to follow end of next week.

Granite cladding to the planters on the roundabout section will take place next week.

1 December 2023

The vehicle entrance to Castle Mews was paved this week and Reopened on Wednesday 29 November 2023.

Vehicle entrance to St Patrick’s church was closed on Wednesday 29 November 2023 and excavation has been completed ready for base course on Monday 4 December 2023. Paving to commence Tuesday 5 December 2023 and continue into the following week.

Paving has continued to Castle St Upper Northern Path and will be completed early next week to the tie-in to Meeting House Lane start of the week 

Footpath excavation will commence middle of next to section of footpath from St Patrick’s church entrance to tie-in on Trostan Ave.

24 November 2023

​Work’s continued this week to complete excavation and concrete base works on Castle St Upper Northern path to tie in with Meeting House lane path. Paving works to this section of the path is ongoing and will continue next week.

Building works to the roundabout section, new planters was completed this week, with copings and cladding works ongoing and continuing next week.

Paving to Castle St Mews vehicle entrance will be completed Monday and Tuesday next week with no vehicle access during this time 

Excavation of the St Patrick’s Church entrance will commence start of next week with no vehicle access for the next 1-2 weeks 

17 November 2023

Paving will commence again next week to complete paving on Upper Castle St Northern path

New street lighting will be erected and commissioned start of next week on Upper Castle St

Concrete slab foundation will then be placed to remainder of upper Castle St Northern path following street lights 

Building works will take place on the roundabout to form the planter beds

8 November 2023

Works has continued this week to complete paving on northern footpath from Elite Light entrance to Dougie Goodies entrance with this area to be fully reopened by tomorrow.

Footway excavation and base slabs on northern path has continued up past Elim Church 1st entrance with paving due to commence on the vehicular entrance to the Elim Church on Friday, this will be re-opened early next week, and will allow further excavation works to the remainder of northern footway, including the Elim Church 2nd entrance, to take place next week.

The Castle St 3 car park access will be closed from Monday morning and re-open mid-week, access to carpark will only be available via Larne Road Link.

27 October 2023

Works commenced this week on excavation of the Northern footpath on lower Castle St, with kerbing and concrete slabs now poured up to the 2nd vehicle entrance. Paving will commence on this same section of path on Monday.

Excavation will continue next week on the next 2 vehicular entrances, with these being paved straight away once ready.

Paving has continued on upper Castle St southern footpath with the majority of this now paved less the vehicle entrances.

The last section of paving on lower Castle St from J&R Keys to the car park entrance is to be grouted over the weekend and this section of path will be fully reopened on Monday.

13 October 2023

Castle St Lower

First section of Lower Castle St southern path is being completed by Friday 13 October and will be re-opened to the public. Final section of paving in front of Keys Tile Shop will be completed by Friday 13 October, and fully reopened at the start of the week. Works will then commence to excavate the opposite footway (northern path) starting at Church St end and working back up towards upper Castle St.

Castle St Upper

Excavation and concrete slab works has now been completed to the end of Castle Upper southern path. Paving works to this section of path will commence next week

Roundabout section

Excavation works has commenced to the roundabout island and is ready for kerbing.

29 September 2023

Castle St

Excavation has continued on upper Castle St on the southern path and has now just been completed to Castle Mews vehicle entrance, including drainage, BT ducting and kerbing works, with the new concrete slab due to be poured Monday.

Excavation will then continue on the remainder of this footpath until the end for the rest of next week.

Bridge St

Paving has now just recommenced and will continue until completion early next week, on Monday evening/Tuesday morning paving will take place on the corner of Bridge St/Castle St to complete this corner and will then continue to progress up Castle St for the rest of the week. 

22 September 2023

Paving works this week have incurred delays due to weather and squad availability. Due to this paving delay, excavation works are now continuing on upper Castle St (southern footpath).
 
The planned works for next week will include the continuation of excavation works on upper Castle St (southern footpath) along the house frontages working from Nr-33 towards Nr-55, including excavation, drainage, utilities and kerbing. Paving works will recommence on Bridge St working from Nr-16 up towards the corner of Castle St junction.
 
Access to Castle St car park was closed from Castle St on Wednesday and Thursday of this week but will reopen to traffic today.

25 August 2023

The planned works for next week will be the placing of a concrete slab to all of Bridge St footway on Monday & Tuesday, and then also on these days FP Mcanns will be setting up the 1-way traffic management system Castle St, and commence excavation to the southern path on lower Castle St.

The last of the excavations and kerbing on Bridge St has been completed along with the new streetlighting installation.


17 August 2023

FP McCanns will be continuing with works on Bridge St footway and working around the corner to meet the Castle St footway, majority of granite kerbs have now been laid on Bridge St and concrete base slab will be getting laid next week on Bridge St footway.

A lane closure will come into effect on Monday 21 August 2023 from the junction of Bridge Street to the junction of Meeting House Lane from 9am - 4.30pm Monday – Sunday.

In addition we have just been notified of emergency works (Replace Boundary Box and renew pipework to watermain) on Castle Street and the road will be closed to all traffic this Sunday, 20 August 2023 from 8am-2pm. This work is not associated with the public realm scheme but is essential works. Access to the churches and residential properties will be maintained.


11 August 2023

Excavation has commenced of the footway on Bridge Street, with approximately 50% excavated to date. Work has started on the installation of new drainage lines, bottle gullies, new streetlight ducting and BT ducting.

This will continue next week, up to the end of Bridge Street footway. Work will also commence on the installation of new granite kerbs.